Collapsible ironing board



R. E. JOHNSON Sept. l, 1953 2,650,442

COLLAPSIBLE IRONING BOARD 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 12, 1951 INVENTOR.

Rosen-r E Jor-msoN ATTOQNEYS Sept. 1, 1953 R. E. JOHNSON cor`L.APsIBLEl IRONING BOARD 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 12. 1951 INVENTOR. Roaman- E Jamison BY ATTOQNEYS Patented Sept. l, 1,953

UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE Robert E. Johnson, Kingsport, Tenn. Y

Application January 12, 1951, Serial No. 205,729

2 Claims. (Cl. 38-105) This invention appertains to improvements in collapsible and portable ironing boards and has for its primary object to provide a compact foldable board, which can be easily transported or stored and which can be easily opened or extended into a stable and sturdy structure.

Another object of this invention is to provide a collapsible and portable ironing board, which includes a frame structure having a top wall forming a fixed part of the ironing surface and having drawers slidably enea-sed therein, one of the drawers forming a support or rest for a hinged extension leaf, which constitutes a portion of the ironing surface and which is adapted to be arranged complementary to the top wall of the frame, the other drawer serving as a housing for an iron and ironing cord and also forming a support for the iron, when the board is in use.

These and ancillary objects and structural features of merit are attained by this invention, the preferred embodiment of which is set forth in the following description and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the ironing board, with the board shown in an open position;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line 3 3 of Figure 1 and illustrating the hinge means, connecting the hinged part of the board tothe fixed part of the board;

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is an end elevational view of the board, the boardY being shown in a closed position;

Figure 6 is an enlarged detailed sectional view taken on line 6-6 of Figure 5 and illustrating the means for locking the drawers in closed position;

Figure 7 is a View in perspective of the board ina closed position;

Figure 8 is a view in perspective of the board and a casing for hanging the board on a vertical support, and

Figure 9 is a view in perspective of the board and casing, with the board being extended partly from the open end of the casing.

With continued reference to the accompanydrawings, the ironing board I0 includes a frame I2, which consists of a `flat bottom wall I4, upstanding parallel side walls I6 and I8 on the opposing side edges of the bottom wall, and a top wall is fixedly mounted on the upper edges of the walls and spaced above the bottom wall. The opposing side edges 22 and 24 of the top wall are rounded off andproject beyond the side walls, with the end edge 26 being disposed 2 n flush with the adjoining end edges of the side walls.` The opposing end edge 28 of the top wall is straight and projects outwardly from the adjacent end edges of the side walls.

The top wall 20 constitutes the fixed member of the ironing board and an extension leaf or section 30 hingedly connected to the top wall 2|). The leaf 30 is formed with an inner straight end edge 32 and an outer tapered end edge 34, with the peripheral edges of the section being rounded. The adjoining end edges 26 and 32 are adapted for abutting relation, when the section or leaf 30 is extended in longitudinal alignment and coplanar relation with the top wall 20, as seen in Figure 2. The section 30, when the board is folded, is adapted to be superimposed or rested upon the top wall, as seen in Figure 7, with the edges 26 and 32 disposed flush. l

Provided for hingedly connecting the adjoining end edges 26 and 32 together, are the hinge means 36 and 38, formed similar and being constructed, as illustrated in detail in Figure 3. The end edges 26 and 32 are formed with square recesses 39 and` U-shaped inserts 40 are iitted therein. Each of the inserts includes opposing side walls 42 and a web portion 44, which forms a top wall. The opposing side walls of the inserts are provided with parallel diagonal grooves or guide slots 46 and a locking lug or abutment 4B depends from the top wall.

In each of the recesses 39 is arranged a plurality of V-shaped hinge elements 50 each having a pair of arms formed at their free ends with lateral enlargements or heads 52, the heads being transversely apertured and receiving a guide pin 54. The opposing ends of the guide pins are slidably engaged in guide slots 46 of the opposed recesses 39 and are loosely fitted therein. The hinge elements are pivoted at their center points on a common pivot pin 56, as seen in Figure 3. The side walls of the inserts are provided with lateral mounting iianges 58 and 60, which project in opposite directions and are fixed on the end edges of the wall 20 and the hinged leaf 30 by headed fasteners 62.

The frame structure I2 is provided with a pair` of conventionally constructed drawers 64 and 66, the drawers being normally encased within the frame structure and being adapted to be withdrawntherefrcm, the drawers sliding in opposite directions from the opposing open ends of the frame structure and being slidably disposed `on the bottom wall I4 and in engagement with the opposing side walls I6 and I8.

`The outer end wall 68 of the drawer 64 is provided with a knob 'I0 and, when the draweris withdrawn from the frame, the lower edge 12 of the wall 68 is adapted to rest on a suitable horizontal support 14, with the wall 68 constituting a support or rest for the extension leaf 30, as seen in Figures 1 and 2.

The drawer 66 is similarly formed and is provided with an outer end wall 16, having a lower edge 18, which extends downwardly below the bottom wall of the drawer and is adapted to rest on the horizontal support 14. The drawer 66 serves as a storage place for a conventional iron and cord, when the ironing board is not in use and also houses a rest or support 8D for the iron. The rest 80 isv shaped to somewhat conform to the bottom of an iron and to securely receive and support the iron, the rest being of a length so that it may be seated on the upper edges of the opposing sides 82 of the drawer. The upper surface 84 of the rest is preferably composed of asbestos or similar non-flammable material. The undersurface may be formed of a suitable heat reflecting material, if desired.

Means is provided for locking the drawers in their normal encased positions within the frame structure and, as seen in Figure 6, the means includes a spring loaded detent 8B, which is slidably housed in a sleeve 88, the sleeve being fitted in a suitable recess formed in the upper edge of the frame bar 90 of each of the drawers. The detent is adapted to engage in a socket 92, which is aflixed by a fastener 94 to the underside of the top wall 20, at the opposing end edges thereof.

When not in use, the ironing board is folded into a compact and easily portable structure, as seen in Figure 7, with the hinged section 30 resting on the top wall 2U of the frame structure, the top wall 20 constituting the fixed section of the board. The drawers 64 and 66 are locked in the frame structure by the locking means and the collapsed board may be disposed in a casing 96, so that it may be easily stored or transported. The casing 96 is formed with an open end 98, including a pair of complementary end or flap sections and |02, the sections being detachably secured together by a conventional slide fastener 104, the slide fastener being formed at the peripheral edges of the sections. The casing is preferably rectangular and formed with straight side and end walls, to accommodate the board, since the frame of the board is rectangular shape. Handles |06 and 108 are formed on the sides of the casing, openings H0, reinforced by eyelets or other suitable means, being formed in the side walls and the ends of the handles are disposed therethrough. Thus, the handles may be used to carry the board in the casing or one of the handles may be used, as illustrated in Figure 8, to hang the board from a vertical support I I2, the handle being engageable on a suitable projection Il4, extending outwardly from the vertical support.

When the ironing board is in a folded or collapsedposition, the iron rest 80 and the iron and cord will be housed within the drawer 66 and the hinged section 36 will belrested on the upper surface of the top 20, with the drawer 64 in ,a closed or encased position in the frame.

In .setting up the board, the section 30 is swung about the hinges in a curvilinear path to a position in alignment with the fixed section 20 and the drawer 64 is withdrawn from the frame, the front wall 12 of the drawer forming a rest or support for the hinge section 30 and retaining the section in coplanar relation with the fixed section 20. It will be noted that the ends 26 and 32 will be in abutting relation, so that the section 30 will constitute a decided prolongation of the fixed section 20 and the possibility of garments,

Y table or other article of furniture or may be easily placed and used on any suitable horizontal support.

Having thus described this invention, what is claimed is:

`1. In a portable and collapsible ironing board, a frame comprising a, bottom wall, sidewalls rising from said bottom wall, and a top wall secured on the upper edges of said side walls, said frame having an open end and said top wall constituting the xed section of an ironing sur.- face, a drawer positioned in the open end of the frame and slidably engaged with said bottom wall, said top wall, and said side walls, said drawer being arranged to be withdrawn from a closed position to extend beyond the open end of the frame with the top of the drawer in the plane of the under side of said top wall, and an extension board section hinged at one end to an end edge of said top wall, said extension section being arranged to be swung from a folded position overlying said top wall into an extended position coplanar with said top wall and resting upon the top of said drawer in a withdrawn position of the drawer.

2. In a portable and collapsible ironing board, a frame comprising a bottom wall, sidewalls rising from said bottom wall, and a top wall secured on the upper edges of said side walls, said frame having an open end and said top wall constituting the fixed section of an ironing surface, a drawer' positioned in the open end of the frame and slidably engaged With said bottom wall, said top wall, and said side walls, said drawer being arranged to be withdrawn from a closed position to extend beyond the open end of the frame with ie top of the drawer in the plane of the underside of said top wall, and an extension board section hinged at one end to an end edge of said top wall, said extension section being arranged to be swung from a folded position overlying said top wall into an extended position coplanar with said top wall and resting upon the top of said drawer in a withdrawn position of the drawer, and releasable detent means acting between the bottom of the top wall of the frame and the top of the drawer for holding the drawer in closed position with the frame.

ROBERT E. JOHNSON.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 596,625 Churchman Apr. 1, 1902 1,200,737 Laurent Oct. 10, 1916 1,234,569 Rehfuss July 24, 1917 1,406,386 Houston Feb. 14, 1922 1,415,529 Cronenberger May 9, 1922 1,550,470 Tilden Aug. 18, 1925 2,499,078 Shaw Feb. 28, 19,50 2,545,475 Lantz Mar. 20, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 279,629 Great Britain Nov. 3,1927 

